2008 Woodie Awards
3 Vendors Bid for Dining Contract
With Sodexho contract expiring, dining changes possible
Joanna Bernstein and Deena Zaru
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: News
Last week, as the Sodexho contract nears expiration, Guilford hosted food provider vendors Meriwether Godsey, Bon Appetit and Sodexho in the Community Center to present to students, faculty and staff their future plans for the College's dining services
The first to present, Meriwether Godsey, emphasized their company's small size and the importance of partnership and unity among students, staff and management within each dining hall that they operate.
"The most important things to us are the people that we serve and the people that we employ," said Leslie Phillips, director of business development.
Meriwether Godsey has investigated what constitutes a living wage for people living in the Greensboro area, and they are prepared to offer their employees fair compensation.
While students were pleased to hear that the workers would be paid a living wage, the mood in the community center dampened when Jonathan Varnell, associate vice president of operations and facilities, informed students that if Meriwether Godsey (or any food provider other than Sodexho) were awarded the contract, all of the current managerial staff would lose their jobs.
Meriwether Godsey said that they would do their best to retain all of the present cafeteria staff, but legally the management cannot stay.
After speaking about employment, the company shifted to menu options and food, main focus of their presentation.
"Our professional chefs test all of the foods on the menu," Phillips said. "We have cycle menus, but you'll never see the same food in four weeks."
The company said that their dining halls have a "fresh market" feel and offer daily vegetarian and vegan options.
Meriwether Godsey also provides their dining halls with as much local, all-natural and organic foods as possible.
As part of their "Greening Guilford" plan to be environmentally sustainable in their business practices, the company promised that all of the milk in the cafeteria will be organic, all meat and poultry will be hormone and antibiotic free, and that during growing season, at least 50 percent of all produce will come from local farms.
The first to present, Meriwether Godsey, emphasized their company's small size and the importance of partnership and unity among students, staff and management within each dining hall that they operate.
"The most important things to us are the people that we serve and the people that we employ," said Leslie Phillips, director of business development.
Meriwether Godsey has investigated what constitutes a living wage for people living in the Greensboro area, and they are prepared to offer their employees fair compensation.
While students were pleased to hear that the workers would be paid a living wage, the mood in the community center dampened when Jonathan Varnell, associate vice president of operations and facilities, informed students that if Meriwether Godsey (or any food provider other than Sodexho) were awarded the contract, all of the current managerial staff would lose their jobs.
Meriwether Godsey said that they would do their best to retain all of the present cafeteria staff, but legally the management cannot stay.
After speaking about employment, the company shifted to menu options and food, main focus of their presentation.
"Our professional chefs test all of the foods on the menu," Phillips said. "We have cycle menus, but you'll never see the same food in four weeks."
The company said that their dining halls have a "fresh market" feel and offer daily vegetarian and vegan options.
Meriwether Godsey also provides their dining halls with as much local, all-natural and organic foods as possible.
As part of their "Greening Guilford" plan to be environmentally sustainable in their business practices, the company promised that all of the milk in the cafeteria will be organic, all meat and poultry will be hormone and antibiotic free, and that during growing season, at least 50 percent of all produce will come from local farms.
Be the first to comment on this story